Developping a mobile app may seem simple on the surface. But most people don’t realize the amount of work and attention to detail that is put into a succesful mobile app. UX (User Experience) & UI (User Interface) Design are two of the most important aspects of the app development process.

Times are changing, mobile devices are getting better and offering more features than ever before. In 2020, any mobile app that is not optimized for user experience will probably quickly be forgotten, uninstalled or even worse, it may not even be downloaded in the first place. 

Modern digital consumers demand nothing but the best : Nowadays, any small issue in a mobile app related to functionality or design (UX and UI) will lead to a quick uninstallation and even a 1 star review on the App Store.

While most big brands like Uber, or Spotify have understood this fact about the modern  app marketplace, most small agencies / local app developers are still not giving app design its fair share of attention. 

The intent of this article is to help you understand the basics of UI/UX design and the reason why it should be a priority if you’re planning to develop an app.

Successful mobile app development agencies usually invest a lot of time and money into UX as it is one of the main deciding factors to whether a user will enjoy an app, use it to it’s full potential and whether he will come back to use it again and again .

When it comes to mobile apps, UX and UI are usually lumped together as they are complementary to each other. Any successful app on the market is built with UI/UX as a top priority.

What does a professional UX/UI Designer provide you with?

The work of any UI/UX designer is important all throughout the design and development of an app.. What exactly does a designer deliver ? Both UI and UX have their separate deliverables, which serve different purposes like: communicating designs with clients, creating documentation, and presenting design ideas in a proper way.

Let’s take a deeper dive into the role of mobile app UI/UX design in the mobile app design and development process.

UI Designer

Mood boards

Mood boards are a simple way to present innovative ideas in a way that everyone understands. It helps the clients and people from outside the IT business understand the app idea that the designer will be working on.

Visual Designs

A visual design is a straight forward way to show the effects of different elements in a design. The effects of elements like photography, typorgaphy, layouts, space, colours, images, etc. are better understood when presented visually.

Dynamic Prototyping

Dynamic prototypes are a great way to get the client’s and the designer’s ideas into an app-like format. They help improving and testing the overall functioning of the app as well as making adjustments when they are needed

UX Designer

Competitive analysis report

Before getting into any business endeavor, a competitive analysis report is done to measure the level of competition your market has. This is especially important in a business like mobile apps, where competition is fierce and ever growing. A competitive analysis report will give you a good overview of the strength and weakness of your main competitor’s apps, and a clear road-map to taking over that segment of the market.

User Personas

Designers have to make sure the client understands what their customers need and expect from the products. Creating a buyer persona not only helps in understanding customer behaviour but also in communicating the same to clients. The UX process involves user research to learn the behavioural pattern.

User journeys, experience maps & user flows

Experience maps is built to show a typical users overall behaviour on  an app/towards a product. This aspect of design delves deep into consumer psychology: The expectations, time spent, reactions, needs, thoughts, etc. are all detailed in the experience maps.

User journeys, also known as user flows are a breakdown of the specific steps taken by the app’s user to interact at different stages of the product. These can be the current interactions or potential interaction with a product/app.

Interactive prototypes

Interactive prototyping is another one of the deliverables of the UX designer. While conventional prototyping saves a lot of time and usually works well enough for most jobs, interactive prototypes help demonstrating how the actual app will work once it’s fully developed. It helps the designer communicate the ideas more clearly to the clients, and also helps when presenting the project to a potential investor.

Now that we have looked into what UI and UX means in terms of the design in the development process, let see  the importance of UI/UX design in delivering a bespoke/custom-made mobile app. 

UI Designer

Mood boards

Mood boards are a simple way to present innovative ideas in a way that everyone understands. It helps the clients and people from outside the IT business understand the app idea that the designer will be working on.

Visual Designs

A visual design is a straight forward way to show the effects of different elements in a design. The effects of elements like photography, typorgaphy, layouts, space, colours, images, etc. are better understood when presented visually.

Dynamic Prototyping

Dynamic prototypes are a great way to get the client’s and the designer’s ideas into an app-like format. They help improving and testing the overall functioning of the app as well as making adjustments when they are needed

The Key Components of mobile app design

Information Architecture

IA is defined as the art and science of organizing and labelling websites, apps, and software to support usability and findability. In simpler terms: ‘’Bringing principles of design, architecture and information science to the digital landscape’’.The idea behind IA is to create a smooth navigation experience, regardless of the platform or browser being used. 

Interaction Design

It is the creation of a conceptual design through which users interact with the app. It includes elements such as colors, aesthetics, icons, fonts, images, etc. 

Usability

This part of the mobile app design principles deal with figuring out if users are getting the information they need through the use of the application and if the app gives them a self-serving way to handle issues. 

Wireframe

A wireframe is a visual mockup that outlines the basic structure of your mobile app. Wireframes are usually pretty simple:  Basic shapes and elements are used to block out where each piece of content and UI element will go, for the purpose of testing features, usability and look of the app. 

Visual Design 

Visual Design is about defining the app’s brand in the users eyes: Choosing the brand’s colours, icons, fonts, image style, etc and keeping a consistent visual style all throughout the user experience.

Why is UI/UX Design So Important?

UX and UI design can simply not be overlooked when it comes to creating a mobile app… Most low level developers create apps with great fun features but fail to really nail the design aspect which often leads to the downfall or unsuccessful launch of an app. The balance between functionality and UI/UX design is what makes the difference between an average and a successful mobile app.

To attracts users and keep them entertained

Any good product needs to be eye catching. This is where UX and UI can make or break your app idea. Mobile app designers are experts at grabbing the attention of the users and to ensure they invest as much time as possible on the app

To create a good first impression

The same concept applies to any business: would you choose to go to a restaurant that looks clean and modern or would you chose one that looks old and outdated ? When users visit your app, they should feel at ease, in control and not overwhelmed. It is also statistically proven that apps who invest more into UX and UI get higher usage time and more recurrent clients.

To get featured on App Store & the Google Play Store

Whether a mobile app is good or not is determined by the market itself: how many people use the app, and how much they enjoy it. If you look at the average app in the App Store, most of the negative reviews are about crashes, glitches and functionality/design flaws. Good ratings and reviews on the App Store  will bring your more users to your app than almost any other form of marketing. 

To make your customers loyal & engaged

Colorful and attractive apps have more users and it’s a fact. Apps like like CandyCrush, or Instagram which have top-notch, iconic designs, draw in millions of new users every year. ‘’The satisfaction that comes from great user experience is what makes users loyal’’. Popular apps like Facebook and SnapChat are constantly updating and testing new designs, layouts and functionalities to enhance user retention and engagement.

Saves Time and Money On the Long Run

When working with professional UX/UI designer, you’re basically saving on future costs since there once your app will be launched, there will be less need for maintenance and updates and your app will be ready to leverage the latest features, as soon as they come out.

Final Thoughts: 

The primary goal of any business is to stay profitable, increase its sales and ultimately, increase the growth of the business. UX & UI Design plays an essential role in achieving this goal. Investing in the UX and UI of your mobile app will  improve user experience and user satisfaction which will ultimately help increase the number of users, number of reviews and the number of sales.

In the modern app market place where users have lots of free and paid alternative choices for each type of app, the span of time you get to grab the attention of your users is very short and you have gain their trust and attention, in this short span of time. That’s where good branding, logo, UX and UI (including animations) come into play.

For a start-up or a small venture, the importance of UI and UX Design becomes even more crucial as the first impression usually sticks around. Hiring the right Design & Development team can make or break your brand recognition & customer satisfaction.

Need help developing your idea into an app? Our team at Yamm Software can help you develop your idea and build a clear road-map to launching a successful, fully functional mobile app for your business. We offer solutions customized to your needs, your budgets, and your goals!

Sign up now for a free 30min consultation call with one of our project managers and get started designing and developing your mobile app idea!